LONDON — During the Olympics, getting off London’s beaten path may force you all the way to Loch Lomond. But I found a place not far from my hotel that a Londoner in a bar told me is where he goes to get away.

It’s called the Canals. They’re in North London, near St. John’s Wood and Regents Park. Along Bloomfield Road is a canal lined with narrow wooden boats that gave the neighbood its name, Little Venice. Little bridges cross from one quiet street to the other with wooden flower boxes adorning the adjoining walkways and little cafes to while away an afternoon.

Here this are no Olympic fans, no Olympic buses, no Olympic venues. The only indication that the Olympics were going on was one houseboat with Team GB and Union Jack pennants hanging from it.

The canals began in the early 19th century when the government wanted to start new transportation links across the country. Barges carrying grain or ice were hauled up and down the canals and while the barges are gone the languid atmosphere still exists.

I took a seat on the walkway next to a long, black boat called the Waterside Cafe where I had a chocolate flapjack and a cappuccino. Despite one of the worst cappuccinos ever produced by human hands, it was nice to sit on a sunny 75-degree day and look at the calm, motionless, algae-covered water and not think about BMX rider is going to crash that afternoon.